1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a skate comprising a shoe portion, a ground touching device and a transition portion which connects the shoe portion to the ground touching device, the shoe portion and the transition portion being formed in one piece.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Within many field of atlethics and sports the advantages of new materials, such as different types of foam plastic with different properties, glass or carbon fiber reinforced plastic, etc., have been realized in the production of athletic and sports equipment. In addition to providing lighter and stronger equipment, such materials have made possible equipment having designs and qualities which were earlier unattainable.
However, as to skates, newer materials have been adopted only to a small extent despite the fact that there could be reason to assume that low equipment weight for example could contribute to improved records in speed-skating and permit faster movements during ice-hockey and bandy playing and figure skating.
It is known that skates for figure skating, bandy, ice-hockey and speed skating as well as roller skates for use by skaters during training may have a leather shoe connected to a metal base part. This base part may comprise one or more metal plates contacting the sole of the shoe and riveted thereto. To the metal plates there may be fastened by brazing, spot welding or the like, metal sections extending downwards, and the lower end portion thereof may in a a similar way be connected to a metal section extending generally parallel to the sole, to which section is fastened a further metal section or runner adapted to glide on ice, or a number of wheel axles with wheels.
This design has existed unchanged for a very long time in spite of changes proposed for example known skates for speed skating seem to be too heavy, render little support to the foot and offer large air resistance.
Further, there exist ice-hockey skates where the shoe portion is made of solid, cast plastic and where a conventional metal base part is cast into the sole portion. Skates of this type are not lighter than previously known skates, but they probably offer better protection of the feet of the players against blows and kicks to the feet during games.